


work troubles

by sunset_oasis



Series: Rhythms of Love [24]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: F/M, Fluff and Angst, HP: EWE, M/M, Multi, Postwar AU, but only light angst and eventually HEA
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-08
Updated: 2017-10-08
Packaged: 2019-01-10 14:21:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,715
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12300930
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sunset_oasis/pseuds/sunset_oasis
Summary: Draco and Cormac felt that Hermione was working too much and they were seeing her far too rarely, and decided to do something about it.





	work troubles

**Author's Note:**

> disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter

 

The whole thing started, with a small issue that was concerning Draco and Cormac - they felt that Hermione was overworking.

"And," Pansy raised an eyebrow. "What's that any different from usual? Granger's always like that, isn't she, you called an emergency meeting for _this_? She  _likes_  working, according to what Ron tells me."

"Yeah," Cormac snorted with a roll of his eyes, "according to your boyfriend, who always had help from her at homework during our Hogwarts days."

"Honestly,  _is_ she really working to the point that's affecting her health or something?"

Draco and Cormac exchanged a look. "Well, no," Cormac admitted reluctantly. "We just miss her."

Pansy smirked, "Awww, that's so  _romantic_." Her smirk widened at Draco's expression, which was somehow a mixture of a scowl and a blush. "And you've got each other, but, eh, I guess I've always known you're insatiable, Draco Malfoy." She pointed a finger at him accusingly.

Cormac's eyes narrowed at 'always known' and seemed to prepare to say something, and Pansy laughed. "Calm down, McLaggen. Not _that_ way. Merlin. We're like siblings. That'll be gross."

"Gross," Draco agreed, with a grimace. "No offense, Pans."

"Well me, on the other hand," Pansy declared happily. "I'm always on full offense."

"We know," Draco assured her with a sigh, and the smile he gave her was exasperated and fond. He turned to Blaise, who was immersed in the latest fashion magazine. "Stop looking at the underwear models, have you got any ideas?"

"Oi, Malfoy, hand that back," Blaise huffed. "And in my defense, it isn't the underwear I'm focusing on. Also, I think that Granger's working hours are not unreasonable. I mean, they're always quite busy up there at the law department, aren't they? You just need to get used to it."

"He's just saying that because Nott's working with Hermione and if Hermione's workload falls on Nott that might mean Zabini gets less quality time with him," Harry interrupted, unexpectedly shrewd.

Blaise twisted his mouth, "Hush, Potter, or I'll have the pictures of you and Daphne and Longbottom snogging up at the front page of tomorrow's Daily Prophet."

"Tomorrow? That's fast," Cormac commented.

"You like fast, do you?" Pansy smirked. "Well Draco -"

Blaise cut across Pansy effortlessly. "Let's just say my mother and Rita Skeeter go waaaaay back."

Draco shot a glare at Pansy, before sighing, "Could we please, please get back to the topic?"

 

* * *

 

Cormac and Draco drew straws to decide who to pretend to be sick to give Hermione a reason to stay home. As in,  _literal_ straws. Literal, actual, fancily-decorated straws with their names written elegantly across the bottom half, courtesy of Luna Lovegood.

"Here," Luna declared happily, handing the straws stuck into a bottle at Pansy. "Pick one."

"Just to make sure," Harry interrupted. "That we all aware that there are faster, less extravagant ways of deciding, and yet we're still going to do it this way?"

"Of course, anything less extravagant doesn't suit Draco Malfoy," Blaise said the same time as Luna said, "It's for a good cause. I've never painted on straws before and I want to try."

"Draco," Pansy waved the straw in hand. "Looks like it's you."

"I demand a re-draw," Draco said indignantly. "Unless you can convince me that she won't mind kissing me on the lips while I'm sick."

"Well," Cormac smirked, delighted, "I think the god of straws of spoken and we shouldn't ignore its will."

"Fuck you," Draco glared at him.

"Later, sweetheart," Cormac drawled. "We're in the middle of the planning here."

"Keep the straws," Luna said blithely, "you'll probably need it in the future."

 

* * *

 

 

"I –" Hermione frowned hesitantly. Apologetically. "I'm supposed to go through some documents with Theo today. Cormac, could you –"

"I  _could_ ," Cormac agreed immediately. "And I  _would_. But I think we should both be here for him, shouldn't we? Nott can manage for one day."

"Theo's really efficient," Draco affirmed weakly, already feeling the effect of George Weasley's product kicking in. It was pretty strong. "Please, Hermione."

She took in his appearance and worry spread across her face, "Okay. Let me just send a quick owl to him."

As she left to send the letter, Draco muttered quietly, "Fucking hell, Weasley's products are really effective. I'm not even pretending anything."

"Well, this way she wouldn't be suspicious," Cormac reasoned. "You know she's smart enough to see through it if you simply  _pretend_."

 

* * *

 

The package in the rubbish bin caught her eye as the owl flew away. She frowned, and bent down to look at it more closely. Something didn't feel right. When she saw the product name, she stopped.

_Did Draco fake his sickness? Why?_

Then she remembered them saying that she disappeared for most of the nights because she was overworking, and sometime weekends too. And how they went from jokingly complaining not seeing her enough to somewhat seriously voicing it.

Realization hit her, and she sighed. She didn't appreciate being lied to, but she'd been disregarding those comments from them for a while now as nothing important, and maybe she should've taken them more seriously.

But it's a busy job, and right now was a particular busy season, and it wasn't something that she could control.

She shook her head and went to find her boyfriends.

 

* * *

 

"Is there something you two might want to share with me?" Hermione asked pointedly when she came back. The two exchanged a confused glance.

"Well," Cormac ventured, "that we love you?"

She seemed to ease up a bit, but also looked slightly desperate. "Come on. Are you going to tell me how you had no idea this ended up in the rubbish bin?" She waved her wand and wordlessly accioed the package she just found, and they stared.

"What's that?" Cormac immediately asked, pretending that he hadn't seen it before. Draco studied Hermione a bit, and realized that she'd probably already figured it out. What he didn't understand was that this wasn't supposed to be in the rubbish bin. Blaise had promised to take care and get rid of the evidence for them.

In fact, he'd  _volunteered_.

Draco thought about what Potter had said the other day, and he thought about Theo working with Hermione … so that was why.

"Remind me to kill Blaise," he muttered.

"Well, now that you aren't really sick, I have something from George a while ago that can cancel the effect immediately," Hermione said coolly. "And then I'll be off to work."

"Hermione," Cormac interrupted. "You need to let us explain. We've been trying to get you to work less for ages and you weren't  _listening_."

"You could've talked to me instead of –"

"We had," Draco snapped. "Did you think we didn't?"

She huffed, said nothing, and just stood up to take the counter-potion. She shoved it into Draco's throat, who immediately sat up. "I had already told you that sometimes I need to work on weekends," she sighed. "It's just – actually, we could talk about this later. I need to get to work. Maybe we all need some time to cool down and think."

"Wait –"

"Not now," she said tiredly, stepping through the floo.

 

* * *

 

"Do you want to  _cool down_ , or do you want to come murder Zabini with me?" Draco finally asked.

Cormac gave him a look. "Do you even need to  _ask_?"

 

* * *

 

Blaise dodged the hex successfully and looked at them calmly. "So she found out, did she?"

"How could you –" Cormac began, glowering at him.

"You're just doing this for selfish reasons," Draco snapped.

"And you aren't?" Blaise raised an eyebrow.

"We were worried about her!"

"Ah," Blaise's mouth curved into a weird smile. "Of course. Foolish of me not to realize that me worrying about my boyfriend is selfish but you two worrying about Granger isn't. Especially when it's their busiest time right now and I don't want Theo doing twice the amount the work when it was more than enough without doubling."

"You could've try to come up with something that might be helpful for all of us instead of ruining the plan like that," Draco scowled.

"I  _don't_  have another plan," Blaise said bluntly. "And I'm managing fine with Theo."

"How?"

"By accepting the fact aside from me, that his work is also important to him?" Blaise retorted, his tone only a little mocking. "He does try to make time whenever he could too, which I highly appreciate. And if Granger doesn't, or this isn't enough for you, you guys obviously had a problem and need to talk." He paused. "And she now knew that things were really serious, or serious enough to make you consider this tactic, it might change her perspective a little, won't it? You really should thank me."

" _You_  should be thankful that I'm not hexing you," Cormac growled.

"Get in the line if you want to hex him," Draco said darkly, not taking his eyes off "Have you think about that we might lose her?"

"You guys did attempt to hex me. You just missed." Blaise pointed out. "And have  _you_  thought about that yourself when you concocted this excellent plan?"

"I have thought about not involving you in any plans in the future," Cormac sneered.

Blaise just shrugged. "Suit yourselves, then."

 

* * *

 

"Hey," Hermione said, when she arrived home that day.

"Look – sorry about the lie – we just – we just missed you," Draco blurted out.

"We barely see you these days," Cormac said, catching her eyes. She sighed heavily.

"Yes, I know, we're really busy at the office these days," Hermione bit her lips. "It's going to get better soon. It usually does after March."

The room was silent for a few seconds.

"I appreciate the sentiment," Hermione continued. "I wished you hadn't gone in such a way, but I guess I can see where it's coming from. I … look. After things calm down a bit, let's go away for a vacation for a few days, okay?"

Draco's and Cormac's posture relaxed a little, and they both nodded. "That'll be nice," Draco smiled slowly, his eyes meeting Hermione's and she gave him a small smile back.

"It will be _excellent_ ," Cormac corrected. "Just wait until I plan it all out."

Hermione chuckled at that, and the tension in the room eased away.

Everything was going to be alright.

**Author's Note:**

> find me on [tumblr](http://ff-sunset-oasis.tumblr.com)


End file.
